


Keith Genuary Day 20: Allura

by sunshinehime



Series: Keith's Gen-Uary Event 2019 [11]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura & Keith (Voltron) Friendship, Allura (Voltron)-centric, Canon Compliant, Epilogue Spoilers, Gen, Post Season 8, Post-Episode: s02e08 The Blade of Marmora, Season 1, Soft Keith (Voltron), season 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 13:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17489195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinehime/pseuds/sunshinehime
Summary: Once she finishes, Allura speaks again, holding the crown as if it’s a precious treasure in her hands. “When you see these flowers, you think of your father. Correct?” She looks at him, a sad smile on her lips and Keith nods in one jerk of his head, eyes red-rimmed and glossy.Allura gathers herself and stands up, smoothing her layered dress with one hand, then gently lowers the red crown on his mop of black hair. Keith touches it, astonishment clear as day on his face. Allura giggles and continues. “I know that this exercise will not take away that pain. But I do hope these new memories you form today can ease the ache just a little.”





	Keith Genuary Day 20: Allura

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself very sad writing this. But it also features Allura and Keith friendship, Soft!Keith, and flowers. So I think I balanced everything out.

Flowers were one of the most important parts of Altean culture and flower gifting one of the highest honors. The first time Allura mentions this is during a bonding exercise her and Coran devise to help the Paladins relax after a tough round of battles, as well as to foster stronger and closer bonds between them.

The Alteans scour nearby quadrants for a planet both peaceful and with at least some plant life -- two traits in short order no thanks to the Galra Empire’s catastrophic reign --  but they manage to find one after a week of searching.

They land the Castleship and Lions on one of the few patches of wildflowers left, the rest of the planet most likely ravaged by Quintessence mining. Allura separates the Paladins into partners at random, participating in the activity to keep the numbers even. She ends up with Keith in the end, while Lance and Pidge are together, and Shiro and Hunk are paired up.

Keith is by far the least enthused by the prospect of making flower crowns. His arms are crossed and brow furrowed, clearly uncomfortable with sharing anything at all when she first questions him as to why. But Allura reassures him that everything shared between them will stay between them, on her very honor as Crown Princess of Altea. That’s when Keith finally relents.

“When I...I was little, my dad took me out for a drive one day. We found a patch of desert flowers. Marigolds I think?” At Allura’s blank gaze he dismisses the train of thought. “Anyway, we sat in the patch and he showed me how to make a flower crown. He, um, said he made one for my mom before. It was a nice day.” Keith faintly smiles and Allura is touched to see it. “About a couple weeks later he, he...” A painful swallow and he drops that sentence. “So I didn’t--. I never made one after that. I, I know it’s stupid but--”

Allura places her hand on Keith’s trembling ones and he stiffens, eyes wide in surprise. “Keith, it is alright. I... _understand_  how you feel.” A final squeeze and she lets go, moving to pluck vibrant red flowers from the patch beside her.

“My mother and father grew a garden on Altea with the most beautiful flowers. Every deca-phoeb on the anniversary of their royal bonding, they would make each other flower crowns adorned with their favorite flowers. They taught me how to make one once I was old enough and I would join in their tradition from then on.”

Allura stops her picking, satisfied with the amount of flowers she acquires, and begins to weave the stems together, her fingers both precise and deft. Despite his earlier dour mood, Keith is impressed with Allura’s skill and watches her work closely.

Once she finishes, Allura speaks again, holding the crown as if it’s a precious treasure in her hands. “When you see these flowers, you think of your father. Correct?” She looks at him, a sad smile on her lips and Keith nods in one jerk of his head, eyes red-rimmed and glossy.

Allura gathers herself and stands up, smoothing her layered dress with one hand, then gently lowers the red crown on his mop of black hair. Keith touches it, astonishment clear as day on his face. Allura giggles and continues. “I know that this exercise will not take away that pain. But I do hope these new memories you form today can ease the ache just a little.”

Keith looks away for a moment and scratches his cheek. “I...um…” A deep breath. “Thank you, Princess. Would you -- I mean, could you show me, how to do that? Make a flower crown I mean. I can’t really remember how anymore.” The last sentence is mere breathes of words. But Allura picks up on them regardless, thanks to her Altean ears.

“Of course I can Keith.” And she takes a seat beside him. “Make sure to pick flowers with long, strong stems….”

Each of the Paladins end the day with a flower crown on their head, matching the color of their given Lion. Coran is wearing one of violet, a gift from the others that he wears proudly, tears streaming down his face. Adorning Allura’s white locks is a crown of pink and blue flowers, her favorite colors.

* * *

Keith sits on the bed in his room, three quintants since he revealed his Galran heritage to the team. Three quintants since Allura has spoken to him. He looks up from the knife in his hands, his  _Blade of Marmoran_  knife he knows now, and a crystal vase resting on his desk catches his eye.

Both Keith and Allura had wanted to preserve the flowers from their crowns, so Coran rummaged around the Castle and eventually found two matching vases in storage. The flowers themselves are hardy, he informs them, and only need a specially treated mineral water to last for several phoebs at least.

Keith stares at the vibrant red flowers and thinks of Allura’s gentle laugh. Of her patience as she listened to his story and as she watched him slowly thread the stems, careful not to harm the delicate flowers. Of her bright smile and shining jewel eyes when he presented her with the finished crown, his own snuggly laid on the top of his head.

He wonders if she still has her flowers.

* * *

During his missions with the Blade and his time with Krolia, Keith’s mind often drifts back to the field of flowers. He thinks about how carefree the others were then. How at ease even he was then.

She apologized to him long ago and he forgave her just as quickly. But his mind keeps repeating the same question: did she keep her flowers until they died, just as he kept his?

His heart aches and he wishes he can experience that moment of peace in the flower field again.

* * *

It’s been a phoeb now, traveling at a frustrating snail’s pace to Earth in their busted Lions. Keith muffles a yawn, exhaustion setting in from twelve vargas of straight piloting through inky space, peppered with distant white dots. Hopefully they find a planet to touch down on and rest soon.

Suddenly Allura’s face comes up on his comms. Judging from the frequency, she’s speaking to the entire team. “Everyone, great news! There is a planet up ahead that Coran and I recognize and seems to be mostly untouched by the Galra. Furthermore, the atmospheric conditions are ideal for ‘settling in the camp,’ as you humans would say.”

“Actually, it’s ‘setting up camp’ Allura.”

“Ah, thank you Pidge. Duly noted.”

The Lions soon punch through the atmosphere of said planet and begin their descent to the surface, a wondrous horizon of rainbows that raise the spirits of the weary group. Upon closer inspection after they land, the “rainbows” are revealed to be an enormous field of flowers, in all shapes and colors. The sweet scent of their perfumes is heady and takes Keith back to that place, that treasured moment in time.

He hears her footsteps long before she appears next to him; he notices the space mice squeaking cheerfully on her shoulders and smiles a bit. It must be nice for the little guys to get some fresh air as well. The two stare at the field for a while in a cozy silence, spotting Romelle, Lance, and Hunk in the distance, sitting around making flower crowns. Shiro and Pidge stand nearby and look on -- the former clearly riling up Lance and the latter in the throes of a belly laugh.

Krolia and Coran are off to the side of the larger group. He points to a patch of yellow flowers while Krolia threads her fingers through them.

“I miss the flowers you gave me. They were truly lovely.” Keith tenses at her voice and has to force himself to relax. Allura is staring at him, he can see her through his peripheral vision. He continues to look forward, afraid of the expression on her face. “I kept them since that day, until they finally wilted. I’ve. I’ve wanted to tell you that, for a while now.”

Keith’s palms are sweating and a lump forms in his throat. All this time she had them. Even when she found out he was Galran. She still...she never threw them away. He swallows hard. “Allura. Thanks.” He gathers the courage to look at her and sees a gentle smile on her face, just like the one she wore that day. “I kept mine too. I kinda miss having them around.”

Allura nods, happiness making her gem eyes gleam. “Why don’t we go join the others then? We can make more crowns for each other, and everyone else as well.”

Before Keith can answer, Allura grabs his hand and pulls him along as she dashes toward their family and friends, the mice perched on her shoulders clinging on for dear life. Keith can’t help but laugh at her excitement; she seems so young and carefree. And he’s, he’s happy too. He’ll have another wonderful memory to look back on now.

* * *

Every year during the Paladins’ reunion gathering Keith makes a flower crown, woven from beautiful pink and blue Altean flowers, and adorns Allura’s statue with it.

Every year he recites the same words, the sentiment behind them as strong as the first time. “Thank you for everything, Allura. I hope you could look back on our memories together with fondness, in your last moments.”

**Author's Note:**

> im sorry


End file.
